


Trapped

by Koschei_Oakdown



Category: Green Lantern - All Media Types
Genre: International Fanworks Day 2018, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-18 18:06:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13686978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koschei_Oakdown/pseuds/Koschei_Oakdown
Summary: What does your favorite character—or your favorite pairing—get fannish over?





	Trapped

**Author's Note:**

> Credit to DC Comics  
> And whoever created this prompt?

Sneezing, an automatic response to the dust up his nostrils, Hal shook his head and glanced up, searching his dark surroundings, lit only by a soft green light. From his ring of course, but Sinestro's too, the other Green Lantern on the ground beside him, but he wasn't moving. A cold hand clamped around Hal's heart, metaphorically, because if there had been an actual hand in his chest, he would know he had problems. "Sinestro!" His voice echoed strangely, but he barely noticed, scrambling over the dusty hard ground to kneel beside the other man.   
  
There, he hesitated, led by the ingrained instinct that Sinestro absolutely despised being touched, but his mentor wasn't moving. In the end, Hal would rather be sneered at and shoved away, knowing that Sinestro was okay, than the alternative that he would rather not think about. So he reached out and rapped his fingers against Sinestro's collar bone, calling again, "Sin, wake up!" He tried to ignore how hopelessly desperate he sounded but it didn't matter a moment later when Sinestro sat up, quite suddenly, a hand coming up to clutch at his head. Then he was on his feet, fingers running through his hair to remove any traces of dust.   
  
"You OK?" Hal asked, though he didn't exactly expect a negative. Sinestro was always OK, nothing bothered him. What Hal did consider was that he felt suddenly so much better, even in the mostly dark, dust still floating in the air around him, with no clue what was going on. It was Sinestro, of course, he knew that, the feeling that everything would be okay because the Green Lantern was amazing and infallible. Hal was amazing too, of course, but Sinestro actually knew what he was doing. There was a significant difference.   
  
Sinestro was looking around, using his ring like a torch and didn't answer so Hal pulled himself to his feet too, as the ground was getting uncomfortable. He scratched at his scalp, wondering if he should prompt Sinestro for an answer, just to be sure. Wait, ew, was that a bug? Alarmed, Hal ruffled up his hair and saw a small black blur drop to the ground. "Oh, ew," he complained, out loud this time, as the insect scuttled away. "That's just - no." He wrinkled his nose but it occurred to him that there might be more he couldn't see. His eyes flicked up, but he could only see the slight green glow of his brow and a few strands of brown hair. "Are there any more?" This, he directed at Sinestro and ran his fingers through his hair, feeling the dirt clinging to the strands but no more many legged bugs.   
  
"No," Sinestro assured, after a brief glance at him. Of course, there were no bugs in Sinestro's hair, he probably put off an aura that terrified even miniature alien insects. And finally, Hal remembered what had happened. The explosion, the ground collapsing underneath them, the sounds of rocks falling and the impact that had temporarily knocked him out. Remembering, Hal rubbed the bruise he knew would probably be forming. "I do not think it wise to try to escape with our rings. Using force may only collapse the ground further and I do not..." Sinestro trailed off and Hal dropped his hand back down, tensing up ready for a fight. But Sinestro wasn't on guard, he was stepping over to the rock wall and his fingers trailed lightly over the stone. He had great fingers, Hal noticed absently, all long and thin, with the prettiest nails. The thoughts that came with that particular observation were quickly blinked away but couldn't help the hot flush that heated his skin.   
  
In an attempt to distract himself, Hal picked over the rocks on the ground as he made his way to Sinestro, then remembered he could fly and avoided them completely. He dropped down beside the man who, incredibly, seemed absolutely fascinated with, to Hal's eye, scribbles etched into the rock. Actual scribbles. Concerned, Hal gave Sinestro a side long look, reconsidering that the Korugarian was OK. Maybe he'd suffered some brain damage? Or, and this was honestly more likely, Hal was an idiot who had completely missed the point.   
  
Awkwardly, but not wishing to interrupt, Hal shifted from foot to foot, watching the fascination and intrigue spread over Sinestro's features as his eyes scanned the scribbles. "OK, what am I missing?" Hal asked, giving up as he was curious now, looking back at the wall but still seeing scribbles. They weren't even very tidy scribbles, it was like someone had carved them with a rock. Thinking about it, they probably had - but that didn't explain why Sinestro seemed to like them so much.   
  
"As usual, Jordan, you fail to see beyond the surface." Sinestro's voice was derogatory, but he still grasped Hal by the upper arm and dragged him closer, so they both stood in front of a particular set of scribbles. "You see here -" Sinestro indicated the wall, as though Hal wasn't already looking at it - "This is the recorded history of the alien civilisation we have just encountered. History that my ring has no knowledge of. Here -" His fingers tapped on the wall and Hal had to forcefully tug his eyes away to focus on the scribbles which, now he really looked, seemed to be a crude drawing with stick people - "This is a telling of a being from the sky - an alien, I don't doubt - and the civil war the planet devolved into -"    
  
Hal stopped listening, but nodded along as though he was. He was far more focused on the sounds of Sinestro's words, not what he was actually saying, and the cool fingers that occasionally wrapped around his to direct his attention to another part of the story. It was nice, and though he wasn't that interested in alien culture, he could tell Sinestro was, that it was the reason for the energy in the Korugarian's voice. Understanding this story seemed to have become much more important to Sinestro than the aliens above them in the present that actually probably still needed their help.   
  
Even as Hal had the thought, the ground shook and a few rocks fell down. Absorbed in studying, Sinestro didn't seem to notice but Hal did and he was not about to be squished by a falling ceiling because his mentor wanted to fangirl over a scratched wall. Without thinking, he grasped Sinestro by the wrist and tugged him away. "We need to go," he urged and didn't resist when Sinestro reclaimed his hand. He knew he couldn't win a fight against him and honestly, he didn't want to start one. He just needed Sinestro to get his head back on straight.   
  
"I haven't finished the story," Sinestro argued and firmly turned his back. "You can go." His position in this was very clear and Hal was torn, used to obeying Sinestro without too much question. But no, this was stupid, he wasn't going to let Sinestro risk his life to read some wall.   
  
Another tremor shook the cave and more rocks fell down, landing with nasty sounding cracks. Hal thought fast. As Sinestro was clearly invested in finishing the story, it was unlikely he'd agree to move until he'd finished, Green Lanterns were stubborn like that, and he certainly wouldn't be convinced by his human student. The solution was simple.   
  
Focusing his mind, Hal reached out and rested his hand against the wall. A flash of green light lit up the cave and he backed off again, turning to Sinestro. "I copied it, you can read it later. Can we go now?" Around them, more rocks fell, as though punctuating Hal's statement, and Sinestro paused for just a moment, probably thinking it over. Then he brushed past Hal and was all business again.   
  
"Of course, Jordan," he agreed, beckoning for Hal to follow him which the human immediately did, though not sure if he was happy about the sudden change in attitude. On one hand, they were unlikely to be squished now, but on the other - well, Hal had liked seeing Sinestro be more, for lack of a better word, human. It made the Korugarian seem less out of his reach, less out of his league.


End file.
